Doctor work

My partner, age 50, earns about £40,000 as a junior headteacher. This is his second career after 12 years in insurance and an education degree. There's a slim chance he could be out of work in 12 months' time because of school mergers. While I doubt that his employer will want to lose someone of his calibre and good reputation, it would seem prudent to be considering alternatives. What might an ex-insurance/ headteacher be able to do?

· If the worst happens, it may be time to make another, smaller career change. Using your partner's knowledge and experience in education perhaps switching to work in education administration or management in a further or higher educational institution may be worth considering. The trouble is that initially not many new employers are likely to match his current salary, achieved after several years in the job.

There is a plethora of possible job titles within this field with a diverse range of job descriptions. The role of managers in education has evolved into a challenging function where they are called to work closely with academic authorities and other stakeholders to make decisions which influence the direction of the particular institution.

Individual institutions frequently advertise vacancies as they arise, which are are typically to be found in the Guardian on Tuesdays.

Fish4jobs is a searchable database of jobs from the employment sections of many of the UK's regional newspapers and it includes links to individual regional newspapers. Go to fish4.co.uk/jobs/.

Alternatively, many educational institutions are keen to develop their career guidance services aimed at 14 to 19-year-olds. The idea is to help young people assess their abilities, interests and potential, and to identify barriers preventing their entry into employment or training .

At present, career counsellors are predominantly employed by private consultants working under contract to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). Department for Education and Skills, Connexions Service National Unit, Moorfoot, Sheffield, S1 4PQ.

Or contact The Institute of Career Guidance, 27a Lower High St, Stourbridge, West Midlands , DY8 1TA.

Last year, I received a pay rise of 0.5%. I've realised that that did not cover the rise in cost of living, so effectively I think I had a pay cut. As my 2003 pay review is coming up soon, could you tell me how to work out how much I was underpaid last year, and how much to ask for this year?

· The average inflation rate last year was hovering at around 1.3%, so on this measure your raise of 0.5% amounted to a pay cut of 0.8%. Since then the rate of inflation has climbed to around 3%, so a pay rise of 3.8% this time would mean that you will at least keep pace with the rise in cost of living. Therefore anything above 3.8% will be an actual pay rise.

Don't be put off by a negative reaction; look for alternatives to direct pay rises. Perhaps there may be a chance of promotion in the offing? If not, look for extra financial incentives, from a childcare allowance to perks such as extra holiday.

You can check the month-on-month movement in the retail price index (RPI) inflation rate on the government's website, www.statistics.gov.uk